13 Oct 2024

In the world of modern farming, technology is often the gateway to transformative change.

Botswana has long prided itself on its agricultural heritage, but as the sector faces new challenges, digital solutions such as the Mpatlise, a digital agricultural market app, where farmers can buy and sell their produce, offers much-needed relief.

Developed by Batswana software experts and launched in November 2021, the App is designed to simplify and streamline access to the entire agricultural value chain.

In an interview with BOPA, one of the driving forces behind this platform, Gradeware Solutions CEO, Mr Raphael Chifana, said what began as a solution to the widespread issue of stray animals, or matimela, evolved into something far more encompassing.

"We initially wanted to create a system that could help farmers recover lost livestock, particularly in communal areas where losses from theft or poor management were common," Mr Chifana explained.

He added that as they developed the concept, they saw an opportunity to broaden their reach to provide a platform for the entire agricultural value chain.

He pointed out that the Mpatlise App now covered a wide array of agricultural needs, offering access to services and products such as land, livestock, expertise, and farming equipment, provided an efficient marketplace for farmers across the country.

For Mr Chifana, it was clear that the technology had to address three fundamental issues such as lack of consolidated agricultural information, insufficient data guide decision-making, and the limited market access for farmers.

He said that the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to travel restrictions and market disruptions, reinforced the importance of creating such an accessible platform.

"Farmers who couldn't transport their produce faced massive losses, and Mpatlise was developed in part to help mitigate such issues that may surface in the future," he said

He said the project was self-financed, adding that budget constraints impacted the company's ability to market the product after its launch.

However, those initial hurdles did not deter the App＊s creators. 

"The app continues to grow, with feedback from users helping guide further improvements," he stated.

He said farmers had shared positive experiences, particularly in recovering long-lost livestock and connecting with buyers for their produce.

However, he said not all feedback had been glowing. Some users have noted that the app was a bit clunky, requiring too many steps to complete simple tasks.

"We are working on introducing artificial intelligence tools to simplify the user experience," Mr Chifana assured.

He said one of Mpatlise's strengths lay in its flexibility to serve both small and large-scale farmers, offering a platform where everyone from individual growers to farming associations could find what they needed.

The future of agriculture is tied to technology.

"Precision farming, blockchain-based food tracking, and drones are all becoming part of the modern farmer's toolbox," he said.

Mpatlise is not just a stand-alone solution, as Mr Chifana described it as a gateway for other technologies to integrate and enhance the farming experience.

He said the team was already planning new features for the app, including a payment gateway and artificial intelligence tools, ensuring the platform stayed at the forefront of agricultural technology.

Long-term developments he mentioned, might see the inclusion of blockchain and smart contracts, aligning the app with both global tech trends and Botswana's own vision for a tech-driven economy.

As impressive as Mpatlise is, it still faces one significant hurdle: Internet access. 

"We are exploring ways to reach farmers in remote areas through USSD technology, and we are hopeful that the deployment of Starlink satellites across Botswana will improve connectivity," Mr Chifana shared.

In the world of digital farming, he said, data security was a key concern, as such, Mr Chifana and his team have taken significant steps to ensure that Mpatlise remains a safe space for farmers.

He noted that encryption, strong password policies, and regular security audits helped protect user data and transactions, providing peace of mind for those navigating the app's digital marketplace. Ends